Field of the Invention
This invention relates to luer connectors.
Description of the Background Art
Presently, luer connectors are standardly used to connect medical devices involved in transferring medical fluids, and can be found for example on syringes, catheters, and connectors for IV tubing. Luer connectors consist of interlocking male (outer) and female (inner) portions which are slightly tapered so as to connect via a pressure or interference fit in a fluid-tight manner. When the male and female portions are joined with a threaded connection, the connection is referred to as a luer lock, which opens and closes by twisting. A non-threaded luer connection is generally referred to as a luer plug or luer slip.
Male and female luer connector portions cooperate to communicatively couple separate devices or pieces of medical tubing and form a single flow pathway. For example, one length of tubing can be attached to a male luer connector and another length of tubing can be attached to a female luer connector. The separate lengths of tubing can then be placed into fluid communication by coupling the male luer connector portion and the female luer connector portion.
In some circumstances, luer connectors may be connected to and disconnected from flowlines on at least a daily basis. Repeated usage of a luer connector, however, may cause the connector to leak or become contaminated with particulate material, such as particles that detach from the septum of the connector and/or cotton fibers from swabs used to clean the connectors. Connectors must remain leak free and reliably avoid introduction of contaminants.
A variety of luer connections are known. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,273,533 and 5,306,243 to Bonaldo, for example, disclose a medical connector having an elastomeric element in the form of a septum or fluid barrier disposed in a two part plastic housing. The septum is pierced by a pointed cannula in the connector when making the connection to the fluid flowline. U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,954 to Bonaldo discloses a needleless connector which includes attached relatively rotatable male and female luer connector parts with an eccentrically positioned flow passageway at the inner end of the female luer connector. Further needleless luer connectors include that of U.S. Pat. No. 7,118,560, also to Bonaldo.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvement which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art devices and provides an improvement which is a significant contribution to the advancement of the medical luer connector art.
The foregoing has outlined some of the pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.